Rossendale Snr Cols 26 - 10 Burnage Snr Colts
In a tremendous team effort Rossendale colts ran out deserved winners of this top of the table clash at Marl Pits.
Playing up hill in the first half on an excellent surface for rugby, Rossendale had to defend their line as they were pinned back in the opening exchanges. The visitors held the advantage by a point in the league standings and knew that a victory would give them the definite advantage going into the final weeks of the season. They came prepared and after a prolonged period of pressure they scored a converted try. Rossendale responded soon after and following a scrummage under the visitors posts there came the turning point of the match. An inoccuous bust up between opposing forwards saw the Burnage center given an” early bath”.
With a man advantage Dale opened their account with the powerful Paul Hughes going over from close range. Fly half Will Sharratt converted to make it Rossendale 7 – Burnage 7 at the break. A man advantage can sometime work against teams and this was the case for the valley side. The forwards slowly gained the ascendency and were producing enough ball for the backs to use. However the correct option wasn’t always taken with forwards getting in the way of the backs. The tension grew as Rossendale went close to that all important score when right winger Jake Entwistle spilt a try scoring pass. Soon after Dales pressure resulted in that all important score which came when flanker Nicholas Street sneaking over, again from close range. Sharratt converted.
The man advantage was beginning to tell now and Rossendale’s next try came from a texted book backs move. The ball was fed from a ruck on the Burnage 22 and saw Rossendale’s centers Tom Bedlow and Jack Bibby combine to see the latter take the ball at pace on a beautiful angle to race under the posts. Unfortunatly Sharratt took too long and had his conversion attempt charged down.
Nevertheless Rossendale were not going to let the lead slip, and with the visitors heads dropping the energetic prop forward Jordan Lord crashed over in typical style to clinch the victory. Bedlow took over the kicking duties and slotted the conversion to complete the scoring. Although jubilant, at the final whistle Dale’s players were reminded after, that the job is far from done. They still require victories in their final five matches to take the title. It is however now theirs to lose.
This Sunday they make the short trip to Whitefield to take on Sedgley Park ko 2.00pm
